You Can Call Me Al
by Smaniby
Summary: Lee is given a chance to change his perspective - will he pay attention? Takes place during Murder Between Friends. Could be construed as literally AU depending on your interpretation, but this is where my logical brain always goes when I read stories like this.


He sat at his desk and picked up the file at the top of the stack. No matter how hard he worked, the stack never seemed to diminish, and for a brief moment he lamented the world that required so much assistance. His mood never stayed dark for long though. He had been accused of being an optimist before and it certainly helped in his line of work.

Flipping the file open, he read through the objective and the parameters of the case. His mind began quickly calculating likely scenarios, and it wasn't long before the expression on his face changed to one of confusion. He began calculating faster, his mind running through options before dismissing each one in turn. This was curious indeed. He had been doing this work for a long time and had never encountered a scenario like this. Finally, he picked up the folder and started to make his way to his supervisor's office. He was going to need some help with this one.

* * *

Lee Stetson strode into his apartment and immediately removed his coat and tie, flinging both on the floor before striding to his bar and pouring a healthy dose of scotch. It had been a hell of day, and the rest of the week wasn't looking too bright either. He couldn't believe Amanda King had resigned! He couldn't even really be mad at her for it – he had watched her quietly struggle with her finances over the last few months, and he knew she had reached a point where she had to put her family's needs first. Byron Jordan's offer was too good to refuse. If he thought she would accept it, he would give her some money so she could stay at the Agency, but he knew Amanda was too proud to accept help like that. If she wouldn't take alimony from her ex-husband, he knew she wouldn't accept any money from a friend.

Lee sat on his couch, took a gulp of the scotch, and tried to suppress the anger and hurt he was feeling. Amanda had pushed her way into his life, and just when he had finally started to accept and even rely a little on her presence, she was leaving him. It would have been much easier if he had never gotten used to working with a partner again. It had been such a long day, and he was so tired. He laid his head back on the couch and found himself muttering, "I wish I had never given that damn package to Amanda King."

He closed his eyes and sensed a brilliant flash of light passing in front of his eyelids, as if lightning had struck. As he sat up, he saw a man standing in his living room. Lee started to reach for his weapon, but the man said, "You won't need that," and Lee found himself compelled to place the firearm down on his coffee table without argument.

"Who are you – who sent you here?" Lee queried suspiciously.

The man replied, "You wouldn't be able to pronounce my name, so you can just call me Al. I'm here because you earned it."

"I earned what?" Lee asked.

"Let's just say that as a concept, people are on the right track when they talk about karma. Some people do enough good things in the world that they may earn a chance to get a better perspective than they would have had otherwise. You are such a person, and that is why I am here – I am here to help you gain perspective."

Lee really wanted to tackle this guy, put him in handcuffs, and get some answers as to how he broke into his apartment so easily, but instead he found himself nodding his head and accepting his presence. A part of him recognized how odd this behavior was, but he found he couldn't change it.

Lee asked, "I still don't understand why you are in my living room, or how you are supposed to help me?"

Al replied, "Honestly, I am a little at a loss myself. You see, your case is unlike any other I have ever had before."

"How is it different?"

"Well, the way things usually work is, someone makes a comment about a change they want in their life. We show them how different their lives would be if that change were made, and pretty much every time the person realizes how good they have it already."

Lee said, "Wait a minute – isn't this like that stupid movie Barney used to make me watch at Christmas? _It's a Happy Life_ or something like that?"

Al sighed, "Yes. Where do you think the writer came up with the idea? So, do you remember what you wanted to change right before I showed up?"

Lee thought and realized, "I wished I hadn't given Amanda the package. So now you are going to show me how much better my life is because I did? Isn't that how this works?" He sighed and said, "I don't think that would work anyway. I know my life is better with her in it – I just should have known better than to get used to it."

Al chuckled and said, "That's not the problem I ran into when I looked at this case. My problem is that I don't have anything I can show you. It's never happened before."

Lee said, "I don't understand."

Al said, "Okay – here is the deal. I talked to my supervisor and she said in the absence of a scenario to show you, I should just explain why we don't have a scenario."

Lee sat back and took a sip of his scotch. "By all means – I am all ears."

Al settled in to a chair and opened the folder. "Okay, first I have to explain how things work. See, I am able to calculate basically every potential outcome of various situations at any point in a person's life, so I would typically use that as a starting point and show you an outcome based on that calculation. For the first time, I have run into a scenario where every outcome is eventually the same, hence I have nothing to show you."

Lee said, "Wait – no matter what Amanda is always going to resign from the Agency now?"

Al replied, "We need to back up a bit. You said you wished you had never given Amanda that package, correct?"

Lee replied, "That is what I said. Before she came along, I had gotten used to working alone, and if she is going to leave me, I would just as soon have stayed used to it."

Al chuckled and said, "It's funny that you didn't just wish she would stay."

Lee replied, "That wouldn't have been fair. I know she is leaving because it's the best thing for her and her family – I may not like it but I can't begrudge her the decision."

Pleasantly surprised, Al smiled and said, "Getting back to the package, that is my first problem. You see, no matter what else I calculate happening with that package it ends up the same way – you are killed a few days later by Mrs. Welch's goons. Most people refuse outright to help and they pick it off you when they knock you out. Some people on the platform would hand the package off to your agent, but it would be retrieved by the enemy when they shoot him. A few more take the package and hold on to it or open it, but they aren't able to decipher the code or don't care to. Only Amanda King discovers and solves the code phrases, and tracks down Mrs. Welsh in time to save you."

Lee tartly informed Al, "I am sure I could have gotten myself out…" but Al interrupted him, "no – I ran all of those scenarios, too. Your best outcome would have been to take the helicopter down and take a few goons with you when you go, but most scenarios just resulted in your death alone."

Lee said, "Okay, I get it. I owe Amanda my life. Surely she has a better life without all of the danger I have dragged her way."

Al said, "well, before we get to Amanda, we have a few other things to cover. See, without you around to stop Walt Kimball from shooting up the office, Francine Desmond tries to stop him. The bad news is that Walt shoots and kills her, but the good news is that it finally plugs the Agency leak after only 6 additional agents are killed."

"Jesus Christ!" Lee exclaims. "Seven more deaths!"

Al solemnly intoned, "Yes, it's a bad start."

"Start!" Lee exclaimed. "Just how bad does this get?"

Al chuckled again and said, "I believe the phrase people use is 'Buckle up – it's going to be a bumpy night."

Lee took another swig of his scotch. Al started speaking again, "Shortly after that, Ted Glazer is able to use Fred Fielder to get his revenge on Billy Melrose, killing them both."

Lee's head dropped to his hands. "At least I know Amanda is safe in this scenario – she's nowhere near the Agency."

Al exclaims, "That is correct! Which is really unfortunate because it means she is in Arlington when Polo DiGregorio's plane releases toxic nerve gas over the city. It wipes out the whole city, including Amanda, her mother, and her boys."

Lee jumped up and snarled, "How dare you come here and tell me a terrible story like that. Those boys are innocent, and I would never let anything like that happen to Amanda or her family."

Al said, "Well, remember, you aren't around to protect them."

Lee was angry now, "So what, you didn't want to show me the ruins of Arlington to scare me into fixing my 'perspective'?"

Al replied, "Actually, we kind of eat those scenarios up – they really make an excellent point. Unfortunately, I wouldn't have any ruins to show you. You remember when Yuri Valov found you through Amanda?"

Lee paled and sat down, "Amanda wouldn't be there to tell them to pull the blue wire."

Al replied, "yes, that is true, but honestly, with the increased Agency tensions due to all these events, the most likely scenario has Yuri Valov being shot on sight before he has a chance to even warn about the presence of a nuclear weapon. In every scenario, that bomb goes off and the blast escalates on both sides until…" Al let his sentence trail off and Lee, finally understanding, finished with, "until there is nothing left you can show me. You mean that literally."

Al said, "You got it. In all my experience, I've never had a case where one simple change results in the world actually ending in every possible scenario."

Lee said, "Oh my God. This has got to be the weirdest dream I have ever had."

Al sighed and said, "my supervisor said you would say that. That's why she told me there is really only one course of action I could take with your case."

Lee said, "To tell me all of this information?"

Al walked up to Lee and said, "Yes. And to do this."

Suddenly, Lee heard a loud smack, followed by a stinging sensation in his cheek. Al then yelled, "As you people say, wake up and smell the coffee! That woman is not just your savior, the two of you together have actually saved the world."

Lee was shocked – "You slapped me!"

Al looked at him and replied, "My supervisor told me you would complain about that. She said to tell you it was poetic justice. I'm sure you understand why."

Lee, remembering his behavior on a recent case, slumped back down to the couch. "Fair enough" he admitted. "I still don't see what this is supposed to solve, though. Amanda is still going to leave – I'm not going to try to talk her out of doing what is best for her."

Al smiled, and said, "She really has been a good influence on you. As for her leaving, don't give up hope yet. Just remember not to take her for granted in the future."

"She really has a knack for getting herself into trouble." When Al simply raised an eyebrow, Lee reluctantly admitted, "she also has a knack for getting right back out of it again. She really is smart and brave." She's beautiful too, he thought, but refused to say out loud. Regardless, Al gave him a knowing look and smiled.

"Listen, I'm not here to stop Amanda from resigning. I'm here because you are really at a crossroads in your life right now. You can keep traveling down the same path you've been on, or you can try something new. It's really up to you what happens from here. I hope you make the right choices because it won't be without bumps, but that new path? It's pretty amazing."

Lee blinked and sensed another bright flash through his eyelids. He turned to Al only to find that he was alone in his apartment. Lee glanced at his drink and decided it was time to lay off the alcohol if he was hallucinating. This security detail was important and the last thing he needed was to fight through a hangover tomorrow. As he made his way to his bedroom to change for the night, he made a mental note to check in on Amanda and make sure she was doing well in her new job.

* * *

It took a while, but eventually his supervisor came in and quietly handed Al a document to add to one of his old files. "Just a marriage license – Lee Stetson to Amanda King'" she smiled, her warm brown eyes lighting up with a knowing look. "I'm not likely to forget that one," Al joked. "How did you know what to do?" As she flounced out, his supervisor just grinned and said, "I've had some experience with Stetson men. Sometimes they employ brilliant strategy but very bad behavior. They just need the help of the right woman to set them straight." Al smiled and closed the Lee Stetson file, glad to know Lee had chosen the right path after all.


End file.
